Ann Priest was elected to lead the GSA’s Board of Governors by staff and students following an extensive search process
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Ann Priest has been appointed Chair of the Board of Governors at The Glasgow School of Art following an extensive and rigorous search process, and election by staff and students, it has been announced.
Ann Priest is an experienced Non-Executive Director, who has been a lay member of Glasgow Caledonian University’s Court and a Trustee and Board member for of Glasgow Caledonian New York College for the last six years. She was previously on the Boards of Nottingham Contemporary and Nottingham Creative Quarter Company.
She has over 30-years’ experience in Higher Education most recently as Pro-Vice Chancellor at Nottingham Trent University and Dean at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London (UAL), and of working with the small businesses in both the fashion sector and the wider creative industries.
As Chair of the Board of Governors, Ann Priest will be responsible for the Board’s leadership and effectiveness, and its role in overseeing the GSA’s strategic direction, supporting the School to achieve the ambitions outlined in its new Strategic Plan: 2022 – 2027.
Speaking of her appointment, Ann said:
“I am delighted to have been elected Chair of The Glasgow School of Art Board of Governors and to be leading the Board, supporting Professor Penny Macbeth and her colleagues as the School builds on its strengths, heritage, and distinctive position in UK higher education as one of the world’s leading institutions for art, design, and architecture.
“I firmly believe in the transformational impact of creative education and research for the individual, society, and the economy. This impact is so evident at the GSA, from its UK-leading position in internationally significant and world leading research and practice to the successes of its graduates, many of whom come from some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities, with the GSA recognised as a leader in widening participation.
“The importance of The Glasgow School of Art to Glasgow and Scotland, and the educational, cultural, and civic contribution it makes cannot be overstated. I look forward to working with the Board supporting the School in its commitment to the future, to building strong relationships with all our stakeholders, and ensuring that the GSA continues to be an amazing and inspirational place to be part of and to partner with”.
Professor Penny Macbeth, Director of The Glasgow School of Art, said
“On behalf of everyone at The Glasgow School of Art I would like to welcome and congratulate Ann on her election as Chair of our Board of Governors.
“Ann will lead our Board at a key moment as we implement our new strategic plan, rebuilding the solid foundations that will sustain and develop both our local and global standing and reach alongside our commitment to the highest levels of student and staff experience. Her knowledge and understanding of art schools and the contribution they make across all aspects of our lives will add richness and value to the already diverse skills and experience of our Board”.
Chair of the Chair Election Committee, Dr Graham Sharp, said:
“The members of the Chair Election Committee are genuinely pleased that this process has concluded so well, and very much look forward to working with the new Chair.
“The process that we worked through was both interesting and rigorous, and ultimately gave every member of the GSA community an opportunity to influence the future leadership of the Board of Governors.
“We were impressed by the scale of the response, which reflected the respect and affection which the GSA enjoys, and we’d like to thank all those who showed an interest in this role and engaged with us so enthusiastically at the various stages of the process. I’d also like to thank the members of the Committee for their time and diligence, and our professional advisors for their support throughout.
“It only remains to congratulate Ann and wish her great success in her role over the coming years.”
Ann Priest has been appointed for an initial period of four years.
Ends
Further information
Lesley Booth,
07799414474
press@gsa.ac.uk
Notes for Editors
Anne Priest MBA FRSA CText FTI
Ann is a senior manager and academic in the UK Higher Education sector. She retired from full time employment after nine years as Pro-Vice Chancellor for student affairs and Head of College of Art & Design and the Built Environment for the Nottingham Trent University; Ann was previously Dean at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, London for thirteen years.
Ann is passionate about the quality of student experience and a strong proponent of creative education and the importance and transformational opportunities afforded by art, design and culture in higher education. She has advised and supported numerous developing fashion colleges and universities in India, Brazil, Turkey and elsewhere internationally and was a Member and Chair of the International Advisory Group for the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts for 9 years to 2016. Ann is currently Consultant International Dean for Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology and spends several months each year in China.
Prior to joining Higher Education, Ann worked in the fashion industry as product designer and developer, and product selector and buyer for high street and designer brands including Wallis, Jeff Banks and Mulberry. She has advised and consulted for small businesses in fashion and the creative industries for over thirty years, and whilst at University of the Arts and at Nottingham Trent Universities led on several significant EU funded enterprise and business support projects.
Ann has been Trustee and Board member for Nottingham Contemporary, Trustee and Board member of Broadway Media, Trustee of Young Creatives Nottingham and a Board Member of the Nottingham Creative Quarter Company and the Nottingham Cultural Strategy Group. Ann is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Fellow of the Textile Institute. She was awarded a Silver medal by the Society of Dyers and Colourists and honoured with a City award for services to Nottingham. Ann is a Trustee and Board member for Glasgow Caledonian New York College.
The Election of the Chair of the Board was carried out in line with the process set down in the the Higher Education (Governance) Scotland Act 2016
The process for the appointment of the GSA Chair (approach, including committee oversight, eligibility, other conditions, the application and selection process, the election process, the electorate, campaigning, terms of office, remuneration and appointment conditions, and reporting) can be found here.
The election result was:
Total number of eligible voters: 3430
Total number of votes cast: 271
Douglas Mundie: 118 votes
Ann Priest: 153 votes (elected)
The GSA Board of Governors
The primary responsibilities of the Board of Governors include:
· To ensure the effective management of the School and to play a key role in the development, approval and review of the mission and strategic vision of the School.
· To be the principal financial and business authority of the School.
· To safeguard the reputation and values of the School.
· To ensure the quality of institutional educational provision uphold and to ensure the defence of academic freedom.
· To oversee and monitor the development and implementation of the School’s Strategic Plan
· To ensure the establishment and monitoring of systems of control and accountability, including financial and operating controls and risk management framework.
· To ensure that processes are in place to monitor and evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the School.
· To support and enable the effective functioning of the Students’ Association.
· To satisfy itself that the School operates with high levels of social responsibility.
· To take all final decisions on matters of major concern to the School.
The Board currently has the following permanent committees, which are chaired by Independent Governors:
· Audit and Risk Committee
· Business and Estates Committee
· Health and Safety Committee
· Human Resources Committee
· Museum and Archive Committee
· Nominations Committee
· Remuneration Committee